SCREAM: 01×03, WANNA PLAY A GAME?

Well Scream team…tonight’s episode was quite an emotional ride. After the killers jarring promise to shake things up in Emma’s life, he definitely followed through as we lost a fan favorite character that left an emotional impact. But before we say who was the latest victim, let’s start from the beginning.

With Emma feeling guilt ridden from Rachel’s death (Audrey’s girlfriend), she stops by the morgue to visit her mother where she overhears Daisy/Maggie speaking with the sheriff, and confirming that she was murdered, not suicidal. As Emma tries to process the information in secrecy, she receives a text from the killer asking if she’s confronted her mother over the lies her life consists of. Emma really has an issue catching a break from bad news doesn’t she? Elsewhere, Brooke and Mr. Branson play a skype strip tease to appease their desires and keep their relations hidden. Brooke explains that while her absent parents are busy living a life of luxury, she resides in a hotel room. When he tries to get her to share her emotions on the situation, she changes the subject and informs him she’s planted a scandalous photo of herself somewhere in his classroom (yeah, this girl isn’t fond of boundaries) and prompts him to locate it before someone else does.

Jake is seen wandering the woods, digging up a specific spot where he doesn’t find what he’s looking for and it clearly not pleased. When he tracks down Will, Emma’s on/off boyfriend says he’s hidden the cash from their “business” involving Nina, in fear that Tyler would have dug it up first. At Rachel’s wake, a seemingly distraught Audrey lingers in the room of her former flame and prepares to hang herself from the fan that Rachel was found hanging from, until Emma stumbles across the scene and stops Audrey (Audrey claims she was just seeing if it was even possible). Emma divulges the news that Rachel didn’t kill herself after all, and Audrey continues to prod Emma for information on what is really going on. Emma decides to share the truth of the killer’s calls and messages with Audrey, and they both decide to message the killer in hopes of learning more about why he killed Rachel. Emma, Riley, and Brooke share a moment of girl-talk while Riley gushes over her growing feelings for Noah, and a silent Emma is reminded by her friends that Rachel and Nina’s death had nothing to do with her. (But the killer claims otherwise).

In English class Mr. Branson searches for the photo Brooke left and in the process of it, gives an assignment that requires pairs to perform a dramatic scene for the class with Emma and Kieran, Audrey and Will, Jake and Brooke, and Noah and Riley. While Kieran and Emma search for a scene, Kieran decides he will help Emma uncover answers and sneak the Brandon James case files to her house. After going through photos and reports, they come across a report that helps Emma connect the dots to realize that her mother was the one Brandon James was obsessing over. Brooke lurks around school hoping Mr. Branson will make a move, when Jake shows up and the two discuss predatory instincts that makes Brooke rethink her role in Mr. Branson’s life. Although a brief moment, if one of them isn’t the killer I could actually sense a potential future for the two as a humorous and fitting pair. When Emma and her mother next see each other, she admits that she overheard them speaking and that she wants answers about her father and the past to help understand what’s going on, but she continues to withhold information from her which will hinder their odds of discovering the overall truth of what is happening.

photo by: hypable.com

Noah blindfolds Riley and brings her on a date to his job at the record store, where he has assembled a series of video games for the two. He explains that she hasn’t even seen some of the best examples of drama that can come from games, and Riley responds saying “You get me.” before the two share a passionate kiss. While things heat up between the two, Emma receives a call from the killer and she refuses to give him any attention so he explains he’ll find someone else to play with. The killer then texts Riley from Tyler’s phone saying he needs help, so she leaves to meet up with the group of friends and Brooke explains she also received a text. Emma tries to explain that she doesn’t believe it is Tyler, but Riley’s caring heart makes her believe that she can still help him. The others out-vote Riley and decide to reach out to the cops where it’s agreed upon that Riley will send the baiting text to catch Tyler. Rough luck, Riley!

When Will and Jake meet, Jake perpetuates that that they give the money to Tyler, but neither have any intention of giving the money to anyone but themselves which is apparent when Jake grips his shovel and Will has a knife behind his back. The two both leave the scene unharmed, but both clearly have their own separate interests at heart with their secretive shady business arrangements. When the cops setup a meeting with a fake decoy, the man who arrives is surrounded and he reveals he was paid online to pass along a note that reads: “Nice try” with a spray paint street art version of the killer, leaving the others vulnerable with few cops at their disposal. Brooke is the next to receive a text from someone claiming to be Mr. Branson luring her back to her hotel room. Riley, who still remains at the station tells Emma she is regretting leaving Noah abruptly, when they realize Brooke has now disappeared. Emma and her mother leave to find her, and the killer texts Emma telling her she has to make a decision, “the good girl, or the bad girl.” Emma calls Riley, thinking she’s safe, and heads back to the police station telling the killer not to hurt Brooke, because she isn’t sure of her location and the killer responds saying “As you wish.”

photo by: MTV.com

Riley receives a message from Tyler’s phone, claiming he’s outside and wanting to talk with her first. Riley makes her way to the ominous car, and the killer lurks behind her and makes his move. Riley is stuck down by the killer, and runs toward a gate that she can’t quite climb, screaming for help as the killer drags his knife across the gate as if he were playing with the fearful teen. Riley tries to makes her way up the emergency ladder leading to the roof, and the killer slices her back open, and makes a gash in her thigh, leaving a bloody Riley to stumble on to the roof top. She gets to a skylight, banging on it for assistance as the janitor cleans the inside of the station with music on, unaware of the young girls plea for help and she begins to bleed out. In an even more upsetting turn of events, Noah face-times Riley and she answers in a panic begging for help. When Noah tries to find out who attacked her, and attempts to keep her conscious, Riley collapses, facing the sky and tells Noah, “I can…see our stars.” And drops the phone in her pool of blood, making Riley the next victim of the killer. NOOOOO not Riley! Kudos to the series for not being afraid to kill off fan favorites this early in the series, but I do wish that the nerdy popular girl had a chance to stick around for a while longer. When Emma arrives to the station, no one knows where Riley is, until Emma calls her phone and looks up to see Riley’s silhouette in the skylight. By the time Emma gets to the rooftop she finds the bloody scene and is sent into an emotional tailspin, ending this weeks episode of Scream.

Well episode 3 was one of the most eventful episodes yet, and I completely have faith that each episode will only continue to make us more attached to these characters and if a death can affect us viewers so quickly, we’re in for a lot of grieving this season on Scream

Aedan’s Final Thoughts:

-I’m going to be mourning the loss of Riley for the rest of the season, consider me emotionally compromised. Props to the actress Brianne Tju for making Riley’s final moments so heartbreaking,

-The show proves that no one is safe, as they kill someone who fans/viewers are instantly attached to.

-The only ones unaccounted for during Riley’s death are Kieran, Will, Jake, Audrey, and Mr. Branson, though that doesn’t mean they could be the only killer involved but it does certainly make them more suspicious.

-The horror elements of Scream continue to pay homage to the original films, but expand upon it on a week-to-week basis.